Reflections and Fulfillment
by Plyric
Summary: KxKB… Based on the minuscule fivesecond scene of Kenshin and Kaoru on their honeymoon night in the RK movie: Seisohen aka Reflections, Director’s Cut, where Kaoru formally bows to Kenshin, dutifully offering herself to him…
1. Reflections and Fulfillment

**Reflections and Fulfillment**

Lemon One-Shot – kiddies under 17 be good little chibis and bugger off

Summary: KxK/B… Ah Chaaa! I have no idea how seven pages of fantastic 'Warm And Fuzzy Feelings' sex became preceded and succeeded with such a detailed examination into the intricacies of Kenshin's life! Mou, I truly have one screwed up mind! Anyway, it's funny; I absolutely and passionately HATE the Seisohen (aka Reflections) movie, as I'm a gungho fan of how the manga ended. And yet stupidly enough, I purchased Reflections Director's Cut for the sole purpose of having the itty-bitty five minutes worth of scenes surrounding Kenshin's and Kaoru's marriage. These lengthy twenty pages (Mattaku, why does it keep growing?!!!) are based on the minuscule five-second scene of Kenshin and Kaoru on their honeymoon night, where Kaoru formally bows to him. However, my take uses the anime/manga's characters and storyline, post-Jinchuu saga. Oh… my… how my mind wanders…

_**NEW NOTES:**_

**1)** For everyone whom has: a) lived in Japan, b) speaks Japanese **extremely** fluently, or c) hates 'dirty, aka slang' Japanese language, _**STOP**_ reading _**HERE**_. I have been an avidly proud American anime fan for well over a decade; all of the Japanese I know comes strictly from anime, along with my _extensive_ online research. I have no intention of changing my writing style without _**solid, educational**_ examples in critiques, ones which actually _teach_ me my mistakes instead of uselessly stating "Your Japanese is all wrong." This story is full of 'slang' Japanese directly from anime._ For those whom do not like slang, just hit your back button and please leave __**NOW**_.  
**2)** I do _**NOT**_ have a beta. I have asked quite a few people, but alas, I am alone...  
**3)** I've included a customized glossary at the end for reference.

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor claim to own, any part of Watsuki Nobuhiro-dono's creations.  
Rated: **M**

Necessary Descriptions:

_Himura Kenshin – __**29 Age**_, 5' 2" Height  
_Himura-Kamiya Kaoru – __**18 Age**_, 5' 0" Height  
Takani Megumi – 23 Age [only mentioned… she travels from Aizu to visit 'helpfully' with the marriage…  
Sekihara Tae – 30 Age [only mentioned

(Even if you do NOT read the glossary, you need to know that "Hitokiri" is Assassin!!!)

* * *

_**December 1878**_

"_I hate winter…"_

Kenshin rubbed his aching head, combined effects of the long, mentally-grinding day and too much delicious sake mixing irritably. _"Best sake of my life… not a hint of _any_ bad tastes… arigatou, Shishou…"_ At least his soak out in the furo helped, until he had to face the snow to get back inside the residence. Wearing a thin yukata and three pairs of tabi didn't help, he was freezing…

"_I hate snow… Mou, how did I end up marrying during the winter, de gozaru yo?!"_ he thought groaningly. Snow turns red so easily…

_Thousands of corpses and wounded littered Toba-Fushimi's snow-covered battlefield like confetti… the stench of blood dominated the very air … no time to think, barely moments to eat rations and drink snow, no time to breath between attacks, only the animalistic instinct of survival remained as for four days and four nights straight, the golden-eyed Demon of Kyoto slashed his way through the multitudes again and again, utterly surrounded, endless enemies thirsting for his death…_

Rubbing his nose of the accursed smell and shaking his head negatively, Kenshin tried to ignore the depressive yearning of falling into his memories. He should've known his marriage to Kaoru would trigger his nightmares. That, and definitely too much sake. Having already locked up the entire dojo and residence, he made his way into the kitchen. Kenshin grabbed Yahiko's square footstool and a dry pair of sandals, and sat in front of the stove. Peeling off the six tabi and wet sandals, he sat cross-legged and cross-armed, hiding his powerfully wiry arms in the yukata's long sleeves, his petite frame shivering from the brief cold. Funny, how much weaker the body becomes with age. His years back in Kyoto were infinitely colder than this…

"_No matter how careful you are, Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu is already… within four or five years, it will _certainly_ become ineffective…"_ Megumi's words echoed in his mind.

"_In five years, I'll be 34, an old man near the end of my life, soon unable to wield my sword; I wonder what Kaoru would say if she knew I'm thinking of passing on my sakabatou to Yahiko for his genpuku… Genpuku… I never expected to live past 15… but… all those whom sacrificed their lives for mine… now I'll be living for the sake of Kaoru's happiness, and perhaps our little one, or ones. Although, I will remain always unworthy, even if Kaoru eventually succeeds in coercing me to give up speaking Kenjougo," _ he smiled widely, his heart aiding the still blazing fire in spreading warmth throughout his small body. Yet he hesitated, knowing that Kaoru was waiting for him. Thinking back on the past hellish week, he realized the brief, non-ceremonial Buddhist marriage he'd shared with Yukishiro Tomoe was pure bliss compared to an all-out Shinto marriage, ceremony, and reception. Tomoe and he had simply said their vows, and that was it. There was no ceremonial planning, inviting other people necessary for participation, or shopping for anything of any kind involved. Things were so much simpler back then…

People did not live half as long back then…

"_You're good, but lately you've been absolutely incredible… You don't even give them a chance to scream anymore…"_

Kenshin winced, squeezing his eyes closed against his internal mental anguish. Taking a few slow, deep breaths, he forcefully pushed Iizuka-san's wretched voice from his mind. He took a moment to sense for Kaoru's ki, making sure she was still in her bedroom. Donning the clean, dry sandals, he rose and removed his yukata, placing it on the footstool before turning to face the stove's firelight. Normally, he would be entirely too shy to do this in his own bedroom, much less in the kitchen of all places, but no visitors would disturb them on their honeymoon night. The winter, the snow, the ever-present smell of blood entwined around his afflicted soul, also didn't help; lost in memories of his horrific past, his unabashed hitokiri side was extremely close to the surface tonight, too close... Carefully, he unwrapped the numerous bandages wrapped tightly around his middle, then held them in one hand…

Kenshin took in his infinite amount of battle scars from his years in the Bakumatsu, together with his years of wandering homelessly around the entire country… however… so many new scars, all in only one year! He had received more scars in this one year than when he was fifteen, those nightmarish scars that had happened in Otsu… He ran his fingers lightly, tracing some of them, so many memories… Jinei sliced his left shoulder, three parallel lines ran across his chest from his first battle with Aoshi, the minor scratch on top his right wrist from Raijuta, the slice on his right thigh from Chou, another scar on top of his right shoulder and both sides of his neck… the second battle with Aoshi… the horrifying gash he could only see in a mirror which ran the entire length of his back when Soujirou had stopped short of delivering his killing blow… but it was Shishio whom had managed to put the largest scars on him. His right chest was covered with one large mass of burned tissue from Shishio's fire attack... and how does one withstand having a piece of their left shoulder bitten off?

And everyone calls the Battousai a monster…

At least that particular wound had healed up very nicely, again due to Megumi's attentions. Nevertheless, running his fingers over the now smooth, concaved flesh will never erase the memory of scalding hot teeth sinking into his skin, the terror of feeling the flesh and muscle being ripped off his living body, watching it be chewed and swallowed… the memory itself a far worse wound than any sword could cut into him…

He gently ran his fingers over the three devastating sword scars permanently disfiguring his stomach into a grotesque portrait, the first two side-by-side on the right-center of his stomach, the other in the dead center. The first impalement from Saitou Hajime, the second from Shishio Makoto, and the final from Yukishiro Enishi… run-through with a sword three times in the span of five months. Amazing, it took twenty-eight years until someone was finally able to run the legendary Hitokiri Battousai through with a sword. Legendary, pfft. _"Mou, I'm so tired of hearing that… I'm not legendary, I'm not a monster or a demon, and I'm tired of having the ridiculous title of the strongest… but I can't die… my life belongs to Kaoru… it took battling Enishi to show me that…" _Kenshin was so critically wounded after the battle with Enishi, both of the other scars had also opened. Massive internal hemorrhaging, multiple lacerations and bruises all over his upper body, severe loss of blood, all aggravated with his self-imposed slow death-by-rotting in Rakuninmura Village, _guaranteed_ he would not survive the final ultimate battle of defeating Enishi. It didn't help that Enishi's battle came less than two short months after Shishio's…

Three months of peace have passed since Enishi's nightmarish Jinchuu… the longest he had experienced battle-free peace in his tragic life since he had married Tomoe at age fifteen, after his genpuku. How time flies…

He pressed lightly on each scar. All three had subdued to a dull, aching pain. He was finally able to crouch properly to do the laundry again without pain shooting through him. _"I may have to give up my sword, but I'll be damned if I have to give up my favorite hobby!" _he thought wryly, smiling as he turned his head to look at the laundry basket sitting in the back corner of the kitchen.

"_It seems you still think like a peace-drunk Rurouni... Then, do you want me to wake you up once more?"_

He frowned, Saitou's words echoing mercilessly inside his mind.

"_Don't look at me like that, Battousai. I liked your eyes when you said you were going to kill me. You truly are a hitokiri inside. I, another hitokiri, is saying this, so there is no mistake… a hitokiri is a hitokiri until death, after all. He can never be anything else… I'll see how long you can stay a Rurouni, from the abyss of hell…"_

"_Jinei… I have held to my oath. I am still a Rurouni, and I will always remain a Rurouni, as long as I have my beloved friends…"_ Kenshin looked back to his injuries; all three wounds had finally stopped bleeding merely three weeks ago… the blessing and curse of having one of the top doctors in Japan as a best friend; Megumi had miraculously pulled him from death's vise again…

"_Ken-san, those famous athletic abilities of yours had better NOT be used during your honeymoon, or else I'll sorely make you regret reopening those wounds!!!"_ Megumi's clipped, harsh words rang hilariously in his ears, one ear of which still hurt from her punishing yank on it, from earlier that day, for his typical deficit in attention span. He smiled, so many horrible memories, but so many _more_ good ones, all made in less than one year. He wouldn't give up this past year for anything. But…

If another battle of that caliber _ever_ happened to him again, next time…

Without a doubt…

Not that it mattered… he knew himself well enough, as did his family. If another arch enemy were to ever again threaten the country, or his family, he would rise to protect, without hesitation…

Even if his chances of survival were…

Sighing heavily, he firmly rewrapped his medicinal bandages and put his yukata back on. Just three more wounds he deserved on the eternal path of atonement for his grievous sins as the Hitokiri Battousai. _"Although… I'm really getting too old for this…"_ he thought nonchalantly…

Then, there's the reason for his hesitation. Sharing a bedroom wall between them did not help… issues… Kaoru and he had both suffered for the week leading up to tonight. However, as much as he'd fantasized about being with Kaoru in an intimate nature, and as much as he knew she'd done the same about him, he had no clue how he was going to handle their consummation tonight. Ever since Megumi had taken it upon herself to have 'the talk' with Kaoru, Kaoru's been avoiding him. Until today, she had managed to successfully evade him for an entire week. Though her avoidance had hurt him, he understood her fear... Tomoe had been afraid as well, but for a different reason. Unable to get past her fear of her blood-drenched, hitokiri husband possibly hurting her, he had blatantly ignored the idea of consummation, figuring they could wait a few more years until the war was over… figuring then, they would have all the time in the world together... Oh, youth and their mistaken faith in their indestructibility, their immature beliefs of immortality… He had been very pleasantly surprised the night _she_ had unexpectedly initiated the act, six months into their marriage. Those six, short precious months with her…

"_My days as a hitokiri will go on…"_

Abruptly ended…

"… _until the day when the new era is achieved…"_

His katana dripped crimson regret…

"… _I'll push my way forward over corpses…"_

Her blood spilled rivers from her body, soaking into the falling white snow the very next day… unforgivable guilt, irrevocable horror, incomprehensible grief… ultimate bereavement…

"_TOMOE!!!"_

Kenshin sighed, hearing his own voice scream out hoarsely inside his mind within the damned memory, his hand automatically rising to cover the large, cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. _"Now that this is all over with Enishi, will Akira's and Tomoe's brand on me fade? Has Enishi truly forgiven me, as I can never forgive myself?"_ His thoughts' journey continued, unabated, wrenching one last bit of control from him… Before battling Enishi, as he lay on the cot in the medical clinic, hovering on the brink of death…

"_Tomoe… At last… you smiled for me…"_

"_Hai… If you smile, I, who is inside yourself, will always smile with you… Saa, Kenshin, the person who wants your smile most is still awaiting for you…"_

Kaoru is waiting...

"_To use the sword and heart in fulfilling my struggling life, I will gamble them, and make this fight's life an accomplishment.. no matter how many fights are left in my life... _That_ is the answer I have found, for my sins as a hitokiri…"_ his words to Enishi during their battle.

"_BUT… even with my answer, even with the comprehension of the ougi, even with forgiveness… Battousai still exists, deep inside my heart; I can never change that fact… after all, a hitokiri can only be a hitokiri until he dies, regardless sweet idealisms, or successful no-killing vows…"_ he thought reflectively, again feeling the stirrings of his more intense side. His unyielding passion and relentless determination, both firmly entangled in the blood-soaked side of his soul…

Pushing aside the painfully excruciating memories, Kenshin replaced the footstool, taking the dirty tabi and sandals with him. Slipping off the clean sandals on the kitchen's concrete floor, he stepped up onto the residence's wooden floor and made his way down the hall to his old room. He dumped the dirty items in the middle of the floor; He'll get them in the morning before he cooks breakfast. Kenshin slid the shoji closed and took a few more steps to just outside Kaoru's bedroom. Sensing her agitated ki on the other side of her, no, their bedroom door, he puffed up at his long bangs as he entered the room. Sliding their shoji closed, he blinked in stunned amazement at the two futons Kaoru had laid out… just like Tomoe had… She didn't realize her fear of sex had manifested itself physically for him to see… Just what had Megumi told her?

"_Unlike with Tomoe, at least they're touching each other; I can try to treat them as one futon… and later watch as one of us slips between the two at the wrong moment, de gozaru yo…"_ he clipped out miserably in his thoughts, firmly keeping his expression neutral. Kenshin, unfortunately very accustomed to being teased about his masculinity and virility on a daily basis, never could for his life do anything about his alluringly attractive, feminine features and accompanying lack of height. _"How many times in my life have I been called a woman, chibisuke, transvestite, or any other number of derogatory, anti-male colloquialisms? It was all to my advantage, back then... who expected the almighty Battousai to be a 5-foot-tall petite redhead? But couldn't I at least have grown more than merely two further inches in the years to come, de gozaru yo? Mou…"_ However, being teased incessantly, all day long before and after their marriage ceremony, by family and strangers alike, then coming home to his now sexually-fearful, virgin wife, is quite another ordeal...

"_I think I'd rather battle Shishio and Enishi again, better yet together at the same time, rather than test my surely to-be poor sexual performance. At least Sanosuke isn't here to tease me about my being a 'good boy' having had sex only once in my life, de gozaru naaaaaaa…"_ he thought mournfully. Speaking of his worries, he watched Kaoru, concerned, as she sat kneeling submissively in front of one of the futons at its head, facing him. She had been glowing for the entire day, especially at their reception... They had shared their second kiss at their reception, courtesy of their aggressive family…

_ Flashback _

_Kenshin turned around just in time to catch Kaoru as she tripped on, was that Tae-dono's foot? He must be mistaken…_

"_Kaoru-chan, daijoubu?" Tae called out, though for some reason, it didn't sound sincere in Kenshin's mind… _"Why--?"

"_Hai, hai, I'm fine," Kaoru replied, straightening to stand, only to find herself shoved back into Kenshin again. _"What's going on here?"_ he thought. There were too many people, too close, all around them, propriety seemingly thrown to the wind. Kenshin tensed, protectively tightening his arms around her. Her hands had nowhere to go and ended up on his chest in an open hug…_

"_Kenshin?" she questioned him blushingly. His eyes met hers and he turned deep crimson, realizing how inappropriately close she was to him. He started to pull back from her, but someone's upper back crashed into his back..._

"_Gomen, gomen, Himura-san!" Kenshin barely heard Uramura no Shouchou's smiling voice and fake apologies; he'd been shoved right into Kaoru's personal space, their faces only an inch apart, breaths mingling irresistibly. They both knew they were being openly stared at, they both realized simultaneously they'd been setup, they both knew how extremely wrong public displays of affection were, but Kenshin had been the overly-disciplined 'good boy' for far too long. He is only human, and as such his famous control waned for a moment. The crowd around the couple disappeared as azure locked with violet, seeing nothing else. They gazed into each other's eyes, lost in their souls' connection. Their lips parted, moist heat blowing gently on each other's cheeks as they slowly came together. Lips chastely touched, a sigh ran through both of them as eyes closed in bliss, and her lips parted once more. He pressed his lips back into hers, lightly sucking as he pulled away. She followed him back, repeating his actions. Her arms came up to embrace his shoulders, one hand getting tangled in his nape's hair. Holding her securely with one arm, his other rose, his hand laying on her throat, fingers feathering her chin in endearment. Their blush quickly changed from embarrassment to passion as their kisses deepened, until eventually… FLASH!_

_Kenshin quickly realized the ploy engaged, and its achieved result. Knowing that it was all over, he found he didn't care and continued to treasure his kiss with Kaoru for another moment. He let go of her lips and rubbed his forehead affectionately against hers, holding her tightly to his body as she obviously couldn't stand on her own. Finally catching her breath, she opened her completely glazed-over eyes. Neutral expression securely in place, Kenshin smugly smirked inside his mind at how lost she was for the moment. However, he waited patiently, knowing it would be in his best interest to simply stand still, rather than try to run... He just prayed she might remember he's still injured and to go easy on him... Sure enough, once Kaoru had regained her wits, she heard an unlocking click and quickly turned to see the camera-smith hightailing it through the crowd with their photo negative. To the very loud applause and catcalls of family and strangers so closely surrounding them, Kenshin's wait ended…_

"_KENSHIN NO BAKA!!!"_

"_OROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"_

_As his aching body slid down the dojo's wall, swirly-eyed and stunned senseless, he barely heard the beginning of Megumi's sharp-tongued chastising and Kaoru's angry retorts while they both helped to right him up…_

_ End Flashback _

However, now... He warily kneeled down in front of the other futon, likewise to her. She swallowed nervously, covering it up by formally bowing to the floor as she dutifully offered herself to him…

"_I've had enough!!!"_ he thought, frowning as he rose to walk over to her prone form. He laid his hand on her shoulder, not surprised when she flinched. Not wanting to further draw out her fear, he gently picked her up, walked over to the nearest wall away from the futons, and kneeled to the ground. He lifted her higher just long enough to sit cross-legged, then settled her comfortably against himself. Kenshin held her close, fondly wrapping her in his warmth. Long minutes passed by as he patiently held her, and nothing more…

"Kaoru?" he whispered as softly as possible into her hair.

"Kenshin…" she answered, atypically meek…

Kenshin nuzzled his nose into her hair, "Will you… hold me, de gozaru?" He felt her flinch again, then her head snapped up as she looked at him in surprise.

"Kenshin?" she asked disbelievingly. "But you're…"

"Hmmm?" he smiled kindly at her.

"You're a… man… I thought…" she whispered. Kenshin's smile quirked amusedly, and he cupped her face into his hands.

"Men need to be held too, de gozaru yo," he said, smiling his kind smile, as he took her hands in his and slowly wrapped them around his middle. He brought his arms back around her again and tucked her ear on his shoulder, happily holding her closer than before as their breaths now mingled cheek-to-cheek. Kenshin sweetly nuzzled his cheek on hers, enjoying their embrace.

"Kenshin, I'm scared."

"I know, Koi--, Kaoru."

She heard the frown in his voice as he stopped himself from calling her Koishii… Kenshin would never hurt her, if anything, it sounded like she was hurting him…

"Kenshin?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do we have to…?" she stopped. That's it, she couldn't bring herself to say anymore. She was single-handedly ruining their honeymoon night, and it was all because of her own stupid fears! Frustration cruelly slashed tears down soft cheeks, and she squeezed Kenshin with all her strength.

"Kaoru, why are you so scared?"

She shook her head side-to-side speechlessly. Kenshin moved to cup her face again, forcing her eyes to meet his.

"Kaoru, has…?" he stopped, forcing irrational rage down in case he was wrong. "Has a man ever forced themselves on you?" Kami help such a man as Battousai would hunt him down…

"No. I've never been with anyone. I am pure for you, Kenshin," Kaoru smiled reassuringly. He let go of the breath he didn't know he'd been holding and smiled at her.

"I would have married you virgin or not, Kaoru; that's really not important to me, de gozaru yo. Your happiness is all that matters to me, de gozaru. That's why I don't understand… I know it's not me you're afraid of, so what is…?"

"… I know I have no reason to be so afraid, but I can't control it," she interrupted sadly. He looked at her for a moment, then stared off into space.

"Control…" he mumbled to himself a minute later.

"Kenshin?"

A beautiful smile suddenly bloomed on Kenshin's face. He lifted her up and stood, walking over to their futons. Kaoru gripped him fearfully as he kicked the blankets halfway down on one of the two futons and sat her on the cushion. He walked to the other side of the room, threw two more logs into the fire, stoked it well, then came back to their bed.

"Kenshin?"

Kenshin laid down beside her on the futon meant for one person, and pulled her to fall on top of him. She eeped in surprise, finding herself lying on his chest. Kenshin quickly tucked her head into the crook of his right shoulder before she realized her cleavage was showing.

"Kaoru."

"Nani, Kenshin?" she answered nervously.

"We're going to play a little game, de gozaru yo," he mischievously smiled down at her.

"Eh?!!!"

"We're going to have fun, I promise, ne?"

"B-but Kenshin, sex isn't supposed to be fun, is it?"

"Oro? Who told you that?" he simpered, now wondering exactly what Megumi had taught her...

"… Anooo, uuuuum, mmm, no one, I guess…" she blinked blushingly. As he had suspected, he was going to have to have a little chat with a certain Kitsune once their honeymoon was over…

"There're lots of ways for us to have fun and play together, de gozaru yo, Koishii," he smiled. Kaoru blushed… there, he'd finally called her Koishii! She smiled, loving how it had naturally rolled off his tongue, savoring the moment. Feeling light-hearted as she stared into his bright, violet eyes, her normal curiousity peeked through. He immediately noticed her change and smiled, finally able to truly relax himself.

"How do we play in bed, Kenshin? Adults don't play with toys!" she giggled.

"Ooooh, that's not true, de gozaru naaaa… there're toys for adults only, but it's a bit too early in our relationship for us to consider any of those," he answered huskily, ideas now flitting through his mind of exactly which toys he'd like to try with her later on…

Kaoru blinked innocently… "Ara? Toys for adults only?" Kenshin reached his left hand over and lightly stroked her cheek.

"We'll start with something easy. Let's take turns and tell each other something we've always wished the other would do. Are you ok with this, de gozaru na, Kaoru?"

"I suppose it sounds ok…"

"Ja! I know what we're going to do first!" he chirped out like a happy child. He sat them both up, then got up and went to her dressing table. Quickly grabbing her comb, he brought it back to the bed, kneeling next to her. Kenshin held her hands in his.

"You've already done this a few times, but they were so few… Koishii, I love feeling your fingers in my hair," he blushed. Kaoru blushed with his request. She looked up at his hair, but he was kneeling and she was sitting…

"Part of this game is trust, Koishii. If you need me to move, tell me, or show me, exactly where you want me to go and what you want me to do, de gozaru yo," he said simply. Kaoru thought about it, then blushed as a sweet dream she'd had came into her mind. Kenshin smiled at her shy blush. Unable to help himself, he leaned down to her, and placed a sweet, chaste kiss on her lips. She looked into his calm eyes.

"Will you lie on my lap, Kenshin?"

He immediately turned around as she straightened out her legs, and laid on her lap, halfway down her thighs, looking up at her. She giggled.

"Nani ka, de gozaru yo, Kaoru?" his eyes shined with mirth.

"You look so silly," she giggled some more, tweaking his nose. Carefully keeping his distance from her body, he vigorously shook his head side-to-side, making silly sounds as his hair flew helter-skelter, then stuck his tongue out at her. She guffawed.

"Sou ka, de gozaru?" he joked with her, "Saa, Koishii, I'm where you want me, now what would you like to do to me?"

His playfulness rubbed off on her, and she finally relaxed. Leaning back on one hand, Kaoru ran her other hand through his bangs… so unexpectedly soft... She longed to run her fingers through the length of his gorgeous, red hair. Kenshin closed his eyes, obviously enjoying her finesse. She took the opportunity to really study her new husband's features up close… How can such a kind, strikingly gorgeous, petite man hide the most feared, most dangerous, most powerful hitokiri in history within him? It's hilarious to think everyone believes him a woman at first glance, herself included when she first confronted him. Aaaah, that confrontation, not yet a full year gone, but now so very long ago …

Kaoru had been on the run the previous day and all that night, trying to track down the Battousai. The bastard had been murdering people left and right for two months, and three more were murdered during that night. Worst of all, he claimed he was from Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu, her family's kenjutsu style of fighting. She saw Kenshin's katana in the early pre-dawn morning fog, only knowing that this man was brazenly breaking the Ban on Swords Law out in the open. She'll never forget that, calling him out by his old name, just to have the most beautiful man she'd ever seen turn around to face her. Gorgeously long, luxurious-looking red hair, messily framing his handsome face and captivating wide violet eyes. She had barely noticed the cross-shaped scar on his cheek as she attacked him... her sweet Rurouni… Insane, that's what she had been, to chase after the legendary Hitokiri Battousai, of all swordsmen. She hadn't even known what the Battousai was supposed to look like, not even his most trademark features. Looking back, she really must've had a deathwish, to challenge the deadliest kenkaku in the country with her own mediocre sword skills. The truth was, she had grown weary of being alone, to the point that she didn't care about anything anymore, including her own life…

Even after knowing Kenshin for almost a year, even after seeing him as the Battousai in action multiple times, she _still_ had difficulty accepting that the gentle, klutzy, idiotically clueless Rurouni and the horrifyingly frightening, calculating Battousai are very much one in the same man. More amazing is that those two opposing sides of his now solidly single personality co-existed with each other, granted forever causing him permanent internal conflict, but somehow his sanity had survived the Bakumatsu Revolutionary War intact. Besides, with Kenshin's mastery of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu's ougi, the sinister side of his personality will never surface… ever again… A few hairs tickled his adorable nose, and he wiggled it cutely, mesmerizing violet lights slit open, flashing with laughter…

She looked down to notice the comb still in his hand… does he want her to comb his hair, or does he want to comb hers? Can't be the latter… "Kenshin, sit up."

"Oro?"

She giggled, there's her adorable Rurouni… He did as told, sitting cross-legged, and she moved to kneel behind him. Taking out his hair tie, she followed her impulses and ran both of her hands through his waist-length, straight hair from bangs to bottom.

"Kami Kenshin, do you know how many women would die for hair like this?" she smiled, repeating her intoxicating actions.

"It's not like I do anything special, de gozaru yo," he purred heavily, lost in heavenly sensation. She ran her hands through his hair a few more times, amazed she was the one causing his moans of pleasure. Finally, temporarily having her fill of one of her heart's desires, she took up the comb and gently pulled it through the very thick, long locks.

"You know, your hair is thicker than mine!"

"Are you jealous, Koishii?" he laughed deeply.

"Hai!" she laughed with him. Kenshin leaned back and looked up upside-down at her, his hair pooling in her lap.

"Peek-a-boo!" he exclaimed, his eyes closing as a huge grin covered his face. Kaoru chortled at his silliness. Seeing him in such a vulnerable position, she bent down and gave him a quick kiss.

"Ummm, upside-down kisses, yummy!" he teased happily.

"Did you like that?" she asked, smiling at his glee.

"Hai, de gozaru yo, I think I need another, onegai?"

Kaoru put the comb down, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him again. Taking the initiative, Kenshin suckled lightly on her bottom lip, then carefully deepened the kiss. Just as she was turning her head sideways to kiss him easier, he slowly pulled back.

"I like that, a lot," he hummed.

"I'll have to remember that," she smirked.

"My turn!" he chirped and sat up straight, turning back to face her.

"Your turn?" she asked surprised.

"Oro?"

"You just had your turn!" her smirk grew.

"Sou ka? Haven't you always wanted to run your hands through my hair, de gozaru na, Koishii?" Kaoru turned ten shades of crimson; Kenshin just smirked knowingly. "So now, it's my turn!"

Kaoru burst out laughing. _"He's too cunning when he wants to be, mou…"_ "Where would you like for me to be, Anata?"

He sucked in a breath, caught off guard… that was the first time she'd ever called him Anata. Blushing sweetly with his emotions, he shyly leaned over to kiss her. He got up on his knees and cupped her face.

"Call me that again, Koishii…" he requested, his voice once dipped down to a husky baritone.

"Anata… my Kenshin-Anata," she blushed magnificently as he pulled her into their first, deeply swooning kiss. Kenshin scooted closer, spreading his knees and fitting her between them. Kaoru suddenly felt hot, feeling his hands on the back of her neck and lower back, holding her closer to his body. She hugged her arms around his middle, bent over as he was, and rubbed her hands up and down his back. Kenshin soon broke the kiss, panting heavily in her ear.

"Koishii, it's funny, you're scared because you haven't done this before, and I'm scared because I have."

Kaoru gently pulled back, dazed and dizzy from that kiss. She tried to focus on looking into his own slightly glazed eyes. "Nani, Kenshin?"

"You're eleven years younger than I am, Koishii… all of this will be far easier for you to do than for me…"

"Sex becomes harder to do with age, Kenshin?"

"Hai, especially for men, de gozaru yo. Certain, aspects, become more difficult for us to accomplish, and it's been fourteen years since I've had a chance to… practice. I had always believed it would have been better if you'd found someone closer to your own age, like Sanosuke, but… I fell in love with you, and looking back, I unconsciously drove away your suitors, de gozaru na," he frowned.

"What suitors?" she asked innocently. He stared stunned at her… _"She didn't know?"_

"You had many suitors when I first came here, Kaoru." She gazed at him in complete confusion, then suddenly, as if she came to a realization.

"I understand," she said sadly. "My mother died when I was very young, so there're many things I was never taught. Kenshin, I barely know how a man is supposed to act when he's courting a woman. The little bit I do know comes from Tae-san--"

"… You have never been courted, Kaoru?!"

"If I was, I never knew it… wait a minute, I thought you courted me at least after your proposal, Kenshin?" she snapped, eyes flaring with a raised fist...

"Oro?!" he winced, cringing from her sudden anger, then frowned deeply. Shame flooded him and he looked down at his hands, "No, not in the proper manner a woman should be courted…"

"Ken-shin!" Kaoru chided him, tilting him back up to face her, "you are the _most_ honorable man I've ever met in my life. Please don't feel ashamed that I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Well, when you put it that way…," he answered, smiling shyly. "I'll just have to teach you how a man properly courts a woman, de gozaru yo."

"But Anata, we're already married?" she exclaimed surprised.

"Who says courting has to end when marriage begins, de gozaru na?" he smirked as he leaned in, placed a chaste kiss on her lips, and picked up the comb. Kenshin stood up and walked behind her, kneeling down.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru questioned, surprised.

"Koishii, I've always wanted to play with your beautiful hair, de gozaru. May I?" he asked, leaning in to her ear. She smiled, then nodded, moving from kneeling to sitting, loosely hugging her knees. Kenshin carefully took her hair out of its nightly braid, tossing the band over to join his hair tie. Anticipation surged through him, and he ran his fingers up her scalp and down through her lengthy raven tresses.

"So silky…" he whispered. _"Kirei…"_

Kenshin took up the comb and brought it through her velvety waves, her dark locks shining iridescently in the bright firelight, hypnotizing him into a steady rhythm. He spread his knees and scooted closer to her, wanting to feel her warmth again. So close that now, as he looked down, her cleavage was very easy to see, very enticing… very encouraging. Kenshin pulled her hair to one side and kissed her neck, then resumed combing. A few more strokes, he pushed her hair aside again, and kissed the other side of her neck.

"Aishiteru, Kenshin…" she breathed out airily. Heat flooded him, hearing his name so huskily on her lips. Throwing the comb onto the other futon, he lightly placed his hands on her upper arms, looking down at her, taking in her beauty. Breathing heavily, Kenshin leaned down again and kissed her neck, inhaling in her jasmine scent, feeling the spike in her breathing, her heartbeat racing. This ethereal goddess… in love with such a worthless man as himself… He kissed up to her ear and suckled the lobe; she gasped.

"Aishiteru, Kaoru…" he moaned in her ear. White hot heat gushed to pool in her lower belly, her body flushed with innocent desire. Kenshin started to firmly stroke his hands up and down her upper arms, then moved up to rubbing her shoulders, pushing her hair over one shoulder. He massaged the tense muscles where her shoulders met her neck, stressed from running the dojo by herself and taking care of three freeloaders, now only one freeloader left being the man kneeling right behind her…

"_Although, things have been much easier since Kenshin secretly started taking local police bounties… even if he didn't know that she had found out about them… like she wouldn't find out about how the dojo's government taxes for the next five years had mysteriously been paid in full…"_ she thought amusedly. She moaned as said-wonderful man worked her muscles to jelly, kissing and nuzzling her neck and ears. His hands, coming up from massaging her lower back, glided over the sides of her breasts, then on up to her shoulders.

"Mmph!" she complained, her body wanting so much more. He sighed shakily, his warmth near her back slowly growing into a hot flame. Bringing his hands down her back, he passed over her breasts' sides again and firmly pushed his thumbs into her lower spine, moving up her vertebrae.

"Tell me what you want me to do, Koishii…"

"I want to be touched…"

"I am touching you," he suckled her ear, passing his hands on her sides again up to her shoulders, then rubbing her upper arms.

"Not there…"

"Where?"

"My breasts…"

"Here?" and he teased down her sides again.

"Nooooo."

"Koishii, open your eyes, look down, show me where, de gozaru yo…" he cajoled. She did as he requested, placing her hands on top of her breasts. She heard his breath hitch…

"Rub them, Koishii," he darkly commanded her. Kenshin's eyes glazed over, violet orbs melted to piercing blue-amethyst as passion quickly surged through him, watching her blithely obey him. Her small hands gripped her clothed breasts, molding them in varying delicious shapes, her nipples beginning to poke through the light cotton containing them. Kaoru moaned, watching his intense focus on her pleasuring herself; she squeezed her nipples between her fingers, gasping, her body flinching back into his. Kenshin licked his lips and brought his hands up her sides, then slid them underneath hers, cupping her breasts for the first time. Her eyes widened, seeing his hands there under hers; she felt her nipples turn to rocks, flooded with excitement. He watched her face carefully as he lovingly manipulated the soft, full globes, and surrendered himself utterly to his deepest desires... She turned to look at him and sucked in her breath stunned, piercingly blazing amber seared wantonly back into her eyes…

Unbelievable… Impossible… Battousai… here, now, even though Kenshin had conquered his internal conflict with the deadly side of his soul… out in the open with no provocation, no war, no battle, no villain, no one's life on the line, yet here the warrior is, now, in their honeymoon bed and quite obviously unaware of his own consciousness' slip… the air in the bedroom became thick from the instantaneous explosion of his kenki, the intensity of his ardor skyrocketing…

The ex-hitokiri leaned in and kissed her, releasing her to tug off her yukata as her arms fell down to her sides. Kenshin blinked, staring hungrily as skin-met-air, her pert nipples standing proudly in the chill. Moving slowly, he worked her yukata off her arms, finally having the top-half pool on the futon behind her. His hands smoothed up her sides, massaging her breasts, his tongue quickly domineering back in her mouth, he maneuvered to her side. Now able to grab her breasts from the front, he kissed his way down to her right nipple, and took suckle.

"Kenshin!" she cried, oblivious as he guided her to lie down on her back. Coursing a hot path from one, he switched to suckle the other nipple, his left hand fondling the one he just left. His right hand traveled down her body and slipped into her yukata's lower folds. She gasped as the tip of his middle finger slipped inside her, carefully discovering her inner recesses…

"Ah! Kenshin, matte, no, no, not there, matte, Ken—mmph!"

He swiftly moved up to her mouth, capturing her in a long, enthralling kiss as he added another finger to her swift wetness. He reveled in the feeling as her legs slowly opened, as if by their own will… Kaoru became lost in sensation when Kenshin's tongue entered her mouth again, mimicking his fingers movements. Overwhelmed with sensation, her inner muscles gripped his fingers in a viselike embrace. He added his thumb on her nub, stroking it to erection. She broke their kiss, mewling loudly as she came for her first time, bucking spasmodically underneath him.

"Ummmm, so tight, Kaoru…"

She blushed beautifully, never imagining such erotic words to issue forth from his gracefully eloquent lips. He worshipped her body with his tongue and lips… down her neck and shoulders, over both her breasts, and the soft skin of her stomach. She watched him hazily, entranced, as his tongue made love to her navel, then journeyed further down to her center desire. As he kissed the top of her mound, she realized he meant to put his mouth…

"Kenshin!" she cried out, concerned that he would taint himself… Why would he want to put his mouth in such a place? He looked up at her.

"Kaoru," he breathed out onto her core. She shivered in response, new feelings blasting unchartered through her. She could barely hold on to her thoughts…

"You're putting your mouth on me, down there?"

"I assure you, you're very clean, Koishii," Battousai smiled at her, continually kissing around her need. Her mind barely registered him addressing himself with "Ore" instead of "Sessha"…

"But, you'd have to taste… AAH!" she wailed as he suddenly opened his mouth over her core, his tongue dancing on top of her hardening nub. He spread her legs further and licked down to her opening. Dipping his tongue inside her, he greedily drank her for the first time. His hands came to her folds and spread her wider, pushing his tongue in just a bit more, her exquisite taste flooding his mouth and senses. He ignored his own painful need, aching to be joined with her, wanting her first time to be memorable and painfree. He came back up to her core, his tongue teasing her prominent pleasure. He pushed two fingers insider her again, stroking her deeply within. His fingers suddenly hit a spot, and she jerked violently. Curious, he stroked the spot again, receiving the same reaction. Needing to hear her breathy cries as he brought her to climax, he firmly stroked that spot inside her and opened his mouth over her core. Her mewls quickly became whimpers, growing higher in pitch as each breath became a gasp. Her hands flew to his head, fingers painfully wrenching his hair as she tugged him into her. His tongue swirled maddeningly over her…

"Kenshin!" she screamed out, her muscles convulsing harshly on his fingers as her fluids forcefully gushed from her. She cried out, riding wave after wave of pleasure until it was too much. Unexpectedly, she shoved him away and scooted up on the futon, collapsing in a shivering mass as she struggled for air. He smugly watched her hips spasm with her aftershocks as he untied and removed his yukata. Rubbing his wet hand on himself, Kenshin leaned over her.

"Kenshi--?" she stared nervously, witnessing a man's arousal for the first time in her life, Kenshin lecherously stroking himself at that. Seeing her hypnotized by his length, he teased her, rubbing his tip up and down into her nub and folds. She gasped, both at the feel of him and at her body's intense anguish for more, of something…

He laid down on her and kissed her deeply, giving her a full taste of herself. "Do you like how you taste, Koishii?" She nodded, dazed with his audacity. He guided himself to her opening…

"Are you ready for me to possess you now?" he smirked smugly, amusement shining brilliantly in his golden orbs. Mou, he's brusque, Battousai no baka! Although reflectively, she supposed that that's the hitokiri side's sincere attempt at consideration. She gazed into his coolly glowing suns, continually awed by his personality's complex dichotomy…

"It will hurt?" she asked wonderingly now…

"This first time only… perhaps... Do you trust me, Kaoru?"

Looking deeply into Battousai's amber vision, she whispered, "Hai, Kenshin, I trust y-- Oooooh!"

Kenshin smiled as he pushed past her folds into her, coming up to her barrier. He pulled back, almost all the way out, and pushed in again. Wanting to take her mind off the coming pain, he kissed down to her ear and massaged her breasts, fondling her nipples. He stroked inside her endlessly with just his tip up to her barrier, persuading her into a frenzy until her mound and folds had puffed out, full of blood. Kenshin worked his hands to under her shoulders, holding her securely. Without pausing his short thrusts, he moved up and kissed her as he harshly jerked down on her shoulders, suddenly jabbing himself up to rip her barrier, fully sheathing himself within her. She squealed into his mouth, surprised with only the miniscule twinge she felt at thoroughly moistened muscles slipping open for the first time. Gently releasing her lips, he placed butterfly kisses up to her eyes, and around her cheeks and nose. He held still, waiting for her to adjust to his invasion.

"Sumanai, Koishii…"

"It doesn't hurt," she stated incredulously. He looked into her eyes... "I was told it's supposed to be very painful, my first time?"

"Women's bodies are not all the same; this didn't hurt for Tomoe either. I've always heard the pain is normal, but that has not been my experience twice now. Saa, I want to hear you, Koishii…"

Working his way back to her lips, Kenshin deeply kissed her, then continued his seduction down to her neck. Kaoru shifted a little to get more comfortable, having the opposite effect on both of them. Kenshin came back up to her face and locked eyes with her. She shifted again, this time up into him. She watched in amazement as he gasped, his face covered in a gorgeous flush, amber eyes swirling to molten gold. He pulled out a bit and slowly came back in, causing both of them to moan, their eyes slitting in pleasure. He started a slow, steady pace, enjoying looking into her eyes as he made love to her, her unafraid of meeting Battousai's terrifying gaze. He stroked her deeply within, making her his own. Kaoru's hands came up to hug his back, stroking up and down in encouragement. Her knees rose and locked on his sides, her heels massaging his lower back as her hands traveled further down, hesitating a moment, then on to his rump, massaging the steel muscles she found flexing there. Eyes still locked, her mouth opened as Kenshin moaned loudly, feeling her hands pull his lower body into hers.

"Kaoru…" he purred, then finally broke their gaze to kiss her.

"Do you like this, Battousai?" she purred, rubbing his rump firmly. Kenshin gasped, his gaze snapping back up to hers, in complete shock, at hearing his despised old name roll from her lips, of all people, of all times... here, in their bed…

Then again… the only woman to have ever fearlessly faced off against the Battousai… even Tomoe couldn't match Kaoru's courage or fire… pure love… unadulterated lust… desire… passion… erotic salaciousness at its height stared back… his cock hardened agonizingly… painful pleasure clawing, ripping through his groin…

"Hai, I like it a lot," he admitted blushingly, his voice sensually bottoming out as blood rushed to his skin, his arousal acutely intensifying at hearing his old name spoken so… desirably.

The feared ex-hitokiri… is blushing? His entire upper body colored crimson in their lanterns' light. Aaaah, there, now she could see where the Rurouni merged with the Battousai… the real Kenshin… _"My Kenshin…"_ Kissing her once again, Kenshin got up on his knees. He grabbed underneath her hips and pushed his knees under her. Supporting her weight as he spread her wide around his hips, he gripped her hips and increased his fervor, thrusting deeper into her...

"Oh, Kenshin!" she cried out, feeling him all the way inside her now as he caressed her moist depths.

"Are you in pain, my Kaoru?" he could barely breath.

"Nooo… more…"

"More what, my love?"

"Harder… faster…"

Smirking at her typical impatience, Kenshin moved his arms underneath her legs as he laid her hips back down to the futon, tilting them up. He leaned down on his hands, her calves up on his shoulders, and proceeded to pound wholeheartedly into her… However… _"Shimatta…"_ Feeling his completion nearing too soon, his body still far too wounded to comply with his wishes, he slowed his pace to a crawl, then stopped altogether. His sweat dripped down onto her breasts as he panted over her…

"Kenshin?"

"A moment…" he whispered, keeping his eyes closed until his body was back under control. Kaoru stared up at him, having never seen him so spent other than in battle...

"_Sex becomes harder to do with age… especially for men… Certain, aspects, become more difficult for us to accomplish, and it's been fourteen years since I've had a chance to… practice…"_

So many realizations revealed in so few words! But then, that would mean that Kenshin was just as nervous as her?

"… _you're scared because you haven't done this before, and I'm scared because I have…"_

Because he's done this before, he knows how it's supposed to go… he _is_ just as nervous; he's unsure of himself, his aged body which has suffered damage beyond healing. Her eyes fell to the litany of scars covering more than half of him that she could see… his stomach, his chest, his arms, his neck, and finally, the most painful scar on his entire diminutive body, his cheek… She watched him struggle with his breathing, willing his body back to his control.

"Kenshin…" she called out to him. He opened his eyes to her outstretched arms. His heart skipped a beat. Unknowing what to expect, he released her legs and lowered himself into her arms, feeling her pull his head to her shoulder. She lovingly caressed his back and hair, kissing his forehead as he lay there in stunned amazement. Pain flared in his stomach, but he successfully repressed flinching for fear of worrying Kaoru…

"Kenshin no baka…" she sighed out resignedly.

He had to smile; why did he bother trying to hide it? She could always sense when he was in pain and vice versa. His wounds unable to take his current position, he rose to his elbows, meeting her eyes in questioning amusement. She gently pushed his messy bangs back from his amber eyes.

"Onegai, take your time, Anata. Aishiteru," she said simply, pulling him up higher for a sweet, affectionate kiss.

"Karou," he sighed as he pulled back to look into her understanding eyes. "I am truly unworthy of you, Koishii. Aishiteru…"

Burying his face into her neck, he lovingly ran a hand under one of her knees and pulled it up to her shoulder. More cognizant of his wounds this time, Kenshin resumed short, slow pulls, purposefully lessening his pleasure but increasing hers. Staying deep within her, he claimed her womanhood with intense, short thrusts. Her mouth opened, issuing forth all sorts of wonderfully high-pitched mewls. Hearing her wordless urgings, he slowly lengthened his thrusts, until he fully released his carefully restrained desire and strength. She started to tighten around him; he sucked on her neck and ear, leaving love bites visible for days. Feeling her nipples rub his chest, he balanced himself on top her body, off one elbow and onto the other, easing the strain on his injured body. He reached down between them to massage her pleasure core. Moving thickly inside her, their lips passionately met, unable to drink enough of the other. Her inner muscles clamped down on him, and he let go of her lips to watch her face, claiming her first abandonment.

"KENSHIN!" she shrieked, loud enough he was sure their neighbors heard. No matter, if he had his way, the neighbors would have to get used to it. A few more thrusts and he felt himself engorge, liberating his essence to deluge her womb...

"KAORU!" his voice unknowingly rang out the same volume as hers. His lower body thrusted erratically, thoroughly emptying himself into her, before exhaustion won out and he collapsed bodily on top of her. The newlyweds held each other, blood gradually slowing, breaths eventually calming, sweat bringing the winter's chill back to mind. Kenshin reached down and pulled the blankets up around them, laying over her again, still joined. She hugged him tightly into her arms.

"Kami…" she panted out speechlessly, well satiated. "Kami, Kenshin…"

"Have I pleased you, my wife?" he asked breathlessly in amusement at her reaction, his voice still husky in depth...

"Kenshin no baka." He chuckled; oh, how in love he is with his fiery Shihandai…

"Am I too heavy?" he sleepily whispered in her ear. _"Is Sessha too heavy?"_ She grinned to herself; she could just imagine his eyes colored their rich, normally violet hue, her sweet Rurouni back in command. Did he know that he had changed? Does it really matter when it seems Kenshin is Kenshin, regardless which emotion is in command?

"No, I like your weight on top of me," she answered, happiness apparent in her voice; she felt when Kenshin genuinely smiled. "Although, might I remind you that _I'm_ the one Megumi will kill if you reopen your wounds?"

"Oro?"

"Baka," she chastised him with no vehemence. "Doesn't your stomach hurt lying on top of me?"

"No, your stomach is much softer than the futon; your whole body is nice and soft, de gozaru yo." He felt the blush overtake her upper body, and nuzzled her ear in reassurance.

"Saa Kaoru, was that so bad, de gozaru?" he asked, his satisfaction equal to his apparent exhaustion.

"No," she sighed out amusedly, "I had nothing to be afraid of… I knew that deep down, but the fear gripped me."

"Fear does that… besides, there's always the solution to fear…" She cupped his head and lifted him up to look at him; he groaned in mocking protest.

"Nani ka?"

"Face it, then conquer it, de gozaru yo..." he answered, deadly serious, then smiled impishly, "sometimes, again…" kiss "… and again," kiss "… and again…" more kisses…

Kaoru laughed delightfully. "Are you trying to tell me something, Anata?"

"Ummmm, enough talk, Koishii…" he groaned happily as his head crashed back down to beside hers. He cuddled into her body beneath him, yawning cutely into the futon. Turning his head back on its side, his breaths warmed her ear as he easily fell to sleep… But, she was ready for more…

"_Sex becomes harder to do with age… especially for men… Certain, aspects, become more difficult for us to accomplish…"_ Kaoru thought of his words again. She had accidentally overheard enough men's conversations in her short life. She'd even heard a few of the times Sanosuke had confided to Kenshin of his many romps. What was it with men liking to boast of their sexual performance? She hugged him tighter in her arms; Kenshin's completely worn out after one time. Her extremely dear, very loving, overly-injured husband…

Whom had sacrificed his very soul, in the worst way possible and at a ridiculous young age, to help forge the Meiji Era, helping to rid the country of the oppressive Tokugawa Shogunate regime… without Battousai, the Meiji Era would never have happened…

Whom had held valiantly to his no-killing vow since the end of the war, despite his past seeking to corrupt, punish, and kill him, repetitiously…

Whom had selflessly saved her miniscule dojo, and her life, from destruction, then agreed to temporarily abstain from his decade-long wanderings and stay with her…

Whom had single-handedly defeated an entire yakuza just to rescue a young boy forced into lifelong pickpocketing, and helped her raise Yahiko into an honorable man, giving her a both an apprentice and a fiercely caring little brother…

Whom had defeated a certain murdering fighter-for-hire, twice in battle, allowing Sanosuke the chance for his own atonement, and giving her an over-protective, doggedly loyal older brother…

Whom had rushed off to his suicide, to save her from an old rival hitokiri, knowing he had no chance of winning without breaking his vow…

Whom had saved a sharp-tongued, caustic woman from being forced to make opium for the rest of her life for yet another yakuza boss, granting Megumi atonement by becoming one of Japan's most famous, top doctors, and giving her a wise, older sister…

Whom had helped her forge their incredibly large, powerful, loving family, all out of complete strangers, with him as the humbly trusted head whom all unquestionably and loyally followed…

Whose sakabatou, the physically visible, PROUD symbol of his no-killing vow, distinguished by every officer in Japan when they recognized the greatly feared ex-hitokiri freely walking the streets, had saved hundreds more lives than his old katana had ruthlessly slain… one of history's greatest heroes… his calamitous story and greatest battles hidden permanently in dusty top secret government folders… eternally infamous as THE strongest of all warriors, forever unknown as Japan's most humble servant…

Whom had accepted her unconditionally, a woman whom couldn't cook to save her life, whom doesn't know how to properly pour sake, who is nothing but a sweaty, ugly, undesirable girl with no skills other than swordsmanship, to be his wife… finally relinquishing his wanderings as he dedicated the rest of his life to her, rescuing her from her fear of being alone…

The heinously intimidating Himura Battousai… the hapless goofball Rurouni Kenshin… the man with whom she was hopelessly in love… whom had done and suffered more in his long life for his country than humanly possible… of all people whom deserved peace at last, and rest…

"Nani? My jiji's tired already?" she teased, smirking mischievously while affectionately pushing his hair from his face.

"ORO?!!! Mou, anyone and everyone!" he squawked weakly as she burst out laughing. He smilingly mocked pouting noises into her ear, exhaustively refusing to move a muscle, even to laugh; she giggled, wanting to tickle him but worried about him getting enough rest... as usual, he predictably knew what she was thinking…

"Saa Koishii, be a good ojouchan, give me a few minutes, and I promise we'll face your fear again, de gozaru yo…"

"Hai, hai," Kaoru chortled and squeezed him closer, feeling him affectionately kiss her ear in return. For the first time ever in all their time together, he's actually paying attention to his injuries, for which she was beyond grateful. She knew he would always believe himself an unworthy life, but at least now he realized how very precious his life was to her. She contentedly napped with him, and minutes later, as promised, Kenshin helped Kaoru conquer her fear, facing it together, over and over and over again, for the remainder of that night, and all the rest of their lives…

Owari

* * *

**Glossary:**

**-chan** an honorific pronoun suffix addressed to someone whom is younger, or equal to, in age, or for friends  
**-dono** an honorific pronoun suffix addressed to someone of important standing… Kenshin uses this over-excessively in connection with his Kenjougo (polite) language use  
**-san** an honorific pronoun suffix addressed to someone whom is older, or is a stranger  
**Aa** an exclamation made in agreement or acknowledgement of the previous statement or gesture  
**Aishiteru** I love you  
**Anata** in this story, a term of endearment usually used by the wife  
**Ano** an exclamation, "Ummm"  
**Ara** an exclamation, only slightly similar to the English "huh?", usually used by females, rarely by males  
**Arigatou** Thank you  
**Baka** idiot  
**Bakumatsu** The Late Tokugawa Shogunate period in Japan's history from 1853-1867, ending with the Boshin War of 1868 and the final battle at Toba-Fushimi  
**Battou-jutsu** (Quick Draw Technique) by whipping the sword out of its sheath, one can increase its speed twice- or three-fold, which can kill with one blow without taking a single blow from one's opponent. This is a real-life kenjutsu technique.  
**Battousai** Kenshin's name during the Bakumatsu Revolutionary War per his sword-fighting specialty, Battoujutsu… the -sai at the end designates him as a Battoujutsu Master, having perfected every Battou-technique possible  
**Chibisuke** (Derogatory/Vulgar pronoun) Half-pint, peewee, pipsqueak, runt, shrimp, squirt, tiny  
**Daijoubu** "It's ok.", "Are you ok?", "Everything will be alright."  
**De gozaru** an obsolete phrase of extreme politeness added to the end of sentences, roughly translated to "that it is", a form of "to be"… (I only use one conjugation of de gozaru to keep things simple.)  
**Furo** Japanese bath tub… traditional baths required the user to wash their bodies outside of the tub  
**Genpuku** ceremony of attaining manhood, samurai became men at age fifteen  
**Gomen** I'm sorry  
**Hai** Yes  
**Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu ** the killing style of swordsmanship that Kenshin fights with, allowing him to swiftly slaughter a multitude of opponents at one time  
**Hitokiri** Assassin  
**Ja** See you later, So then  
**Jiji** old man  
**Jinchuu** Man's Punishment, opposite of the slogan the Ishin Shishi used during the Bakumatsu of Tenchuu Heaven's Punishment.  
**Kami** God  
**Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu** the style of swordsmanship Kaoru's father created which practices the "sword that protects"  
**Katana** Japanese sword  
**Kenjougo** Japanese Humble Language  
**Kenjutsu** swordsmanship, sword-play  
**Kenkaku** swordsman  
**Kenki** "the air of a sword"… not the kind of air you breathe, but a swordsman's physical spirit, the source of his power projected outwardly into a physical appearance and/or manifestation  
**Kirei** beautiful  
**Kitsune** Fox  
**Koishii** a term of endearment usually used by the husband  
**Mattaku!** Good grief!  
**Mou** geez  
**Nani?** What?  
**Ne** equivalent to a softly spoken English "hey" or "is that right?"  
**Ojouchan** formal way to address a little girl  
**Onegai** Please  
**Ore** " I " (typical brash male pronoun)  
**Oro** an exclamation, only slightly similar to the English "huh?"  
**Ougi** final hidden, ultimate technique of any particular martial arts style  
**Owari** Japanese traditional way of ending stories, "The End"  
**Rurouni** homeless wanderer, vagabond  
**Saa** an exclamation similar to the English word "so"  
**Sakabatou** Kenshin's reversed-blade sword  
**Sake** Japanese wine  
**Sessha** this humbled one, this unworthy one… Kenshin uses this over-excessively in connection with his Kenjougo (polite) language use  
**Shihandai** martial arts term - someone whom teaches in place of… in this story, Kaoru is the Assistant Master of her dojo as she teaches in place of her deceased father, the dojo's master  
**Shimatta** curse for "shit!"  
**Shishou** Master (usually of any sort of martial arts training)  
**Shoji** Japanese sliding door  
**Shouchou** Police Chief  
**Sou ka** "Is that so?" or "I see"  
**Sumanai** I'm sorry  
**Tabi** Japanese split-toe socks  
**Yakuza** Japanese mafia, or criminal gangs  
**Yukata** a very light kimono worn to bed


	2. RAF Answering Reviews

Domo minna-san!

Fanfiction dot net does not allow more than one review per chapter… thus, here's another chapter for the sole purpose of answering reviews! -- sheepishly scratches head --

(Note: Due to FF's funky filters, I've purposefully spaced/typed out some words and URLs below, so it's gonna look kinda weird... yet another reason MediaMiner dot org is my main website to use for posting stories, but anyway...)

- Question: During the wedding flashback, what exactly was Kaoru's reason for getting mad at Kenshin and punching him into the wall? All he did was kiss her.  
- Answer: Public displays of affection in Japan are vastly different than they are here in the USA, or even in Europe. Sad to say, but in the science world, Japan statistically falls as the lowest nation in the world for having sex (in fact, for the past few years running now). Taken directly from a science news article: "The rate of Japanese experiencing painful intercourse was about double the world average." It comes as no surprise that they don't know how to have sex properly considering centuries upon centuries of sexual stigma. For example, to kiss in public would be the same as having intercourse in public. Holding hands would be the same as kissing, etc. Those stigmata still hold true today, most unfortunately, to the point that the Japanese have sex workshops to try and encourage married couples to 'get it together'. (I was shocked to read there're some married couples who'd been together for 25+ years without any sexual relations whatsoever, between themselves or anyone else!) Puts a whole new, very sad, spin on anime - p o r n -, doesn't it?

- Question: I can't find the "Reflections: Director's Cut" DVD?!  
- Answer: The DVD is readily available at Ebay dot com and Amazon dot com. I got mine from Amazon. :)

- Question: In both "Never For the Public..." and "Reflections and Fulfillment", why did I write that Kenshin consummated his marriage with Tomoe?  
- Answer: Just to clarify, I have all 28 volumes of the manga, Kaden and Sakabatou manga, 95 anime episodes, and three movies. I realize it's only in the movie "Trust & Betrayal" that their consummation is hinted at, however, as a writer, I'm allowed to take certain liberties... so I took them. ;P Something else to note is that although RAF is a 'continuation' story, NFTP is a 'divergence' story, so I happily took further my liberties with that story.

- Question: Isn't it a little weird that Kenshin mentioned Tomoe while making love to Kaoru?  
- Answer: Not really… This one-shot happens post-Jinchuu saga, so Kaoru knows all about Tomoe. It is regrettable to note that Kenshin fell in love with Tomoe far before she did with him in return, be it movies or manga. (What else could be expected for an isolated and outcasted fifteen-year-old boy :( ) Regardless, a very heavy part of this one-shot is based around Kenshin and Tomoe losing their virginity to each other, hence, his loving devotion to Kaoru. Since his own first time was so special (minus all the drama that happened around it…), he's particularly focused on making sure his second wife has the same special experience, if not better, than his first. Kaoru may be a strong woman, but in a situation where you know your husband is still in love with his deceased wife, feelings of inadequacy and inferiority will arise. Kenshin will always love Tomoe; that is a fact. However, he is more perceptive on human nature than the average man, and realizes Kaoru's feelings in regards to Tomoe, specifically, without her need of voicing them. I personally imagine that he continually soothes her feelings, not just during their honeymoon, but for the rest of their lives together, until she finally stops comparing herself with Tomoe.

- Question: I'm thinking you're a psyche major?  
- Answer: Plyric -- titters with amusement --. I'm highly flattered, but alas, I am merely a serious computer hardware engineer who's a sensual romantic in secret… ;)

- Question: Are you writing more KK stories?  
- Answer: Plyric trudges high and low, desperately searching for the source of her current pain. She weedles from server room to server room, to no avail. Tracing the next step of her troubleshooting path, she finally nears the source of her local network outage. She raises her hand to wipe the sweat gathered on her brow. _"I've found you!"_ she thinks in success, as she replaces the now dead LAN cable with a fresh, new wire. _"Hmmm, fresh, new… story!_ _Hey, network's back up!__"_ ;) Hehehe, insanely enough, I have eight stories being written simultaneously, one being an original fantasy novel, the rest are KK stories. I have another one-shot I might put out this week, though it's nowhere on par with Reflections and Fulfillment… What I'm really excited about is one story where I have 10 chapters written, with maybe 10 more to go. It's inspired by the story "Out of Time" written by SiriusFan13 on MeijiTales dot com. The easy part's been written, aka romance and humour. Now comes the difficult part of bringing the battles to life on paper…

Again, katajikenai minna-san:)


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